readbooksol Chapter 18 Summer Will Eventually Leave
Chapter 18 Summer Will Eventually Leave
The whole duck carcass was fished out and placed on the plate in front of the father. The father wanted to refuse, but he didn't let it go.
Liu Gan said that the design institute treated them to dumplings at noon, and he wasn't hungry in the evening, so he just sat there drinking a bowl of duck bone soup.
How many dumplings can you eat when you're treating someone to a meal?
"Let's eat the crab later. Your dad and I had a late lunch, so we're not very hungry."
"That's quite a lot. I ate more than thirty by myself."
"You two eat more, this duck is good, it's from Laozi's!"
After finishing a bowl of duck bone soup, Liu Gan's fatigue dissipated along with the gloomy rain outside.
The wind gradually stopped, and a ray of sunlight shone through the gap in the clouds onto the crab shells on the dining table.
The two elderly people weren't very hungry to begin with, and after finishing their meal, they were eager to go out for some exercise.
"Mom and Dad, I'm planning to go out to sea."
The tone was very soft, but to the two of them it sounded heavier than the rain from before.
"Why the sudden urge to go to sea? Isn't the design institute doing just fine?"
"What's so great about it? We're almost unable to pay salaries."
There happened to be a job available on the ship, a large company I had just contacted through someone.
With seven types of insurance and two types of housing funds, plus holiday allowances, and eight months of work followed by four months of rest, you can earn a considerable amount over a year.
"Snapped!"
Mr. Liu slammed his chopsticks on the table, causing the seafood porridge in the large bowl to slosh around.
"Why do you always do things your way out of nothing?"
You studied architecture, what can you do on a ship? A sailor or a cook?
"It's better to stay at the design institute; at least it's close to home!"
"Dad, the environment has changed. With the impact of AI, even design institutes are struggling to stay afloat."
There have been several waves of layoffs this year alone.
I'm on the next list too. Rather than being laid off and having to work in food delivery, I'd rather find another job in advance.
Liu Gan served two more spoonfuls of seafood porridge, still maintaining a calm demeanor on the surface.
But Liu's mother, sitting to the side, seemed to feel a strange emotion welling up inside her, and tears flowed involuntarily.
Seeing this, Liu Gan, who had been able to keep his composure, also had tears in his eyes and hurriedly went over.
"Mom, the children are growing up and will eventually have to go out. You two are about to retire now, so wouldn't it be good to use your retirement pension to travel around more?"
Although Jinchuan has a nice environment, you can also visit other cities that others are tired of living in.
"That's not the same. If you're at home, we can go out with you on a holiday."
It took more than ten tissues for the mother and son to stop crying.
The father, sitting to the side, stubbornly turned his head away.
"Dad, please don't do this. You should understand me best!"
Raging waves and raging winds—aren't they things a man should conquer?
"You've never been good at sports since you were a child, and you haven't paid attention to your health since you started working."
You've boarded the ship. Will you conquer the waves, or will the waves conquer you?
Liu Gan didn't know how to answer, so he could only help carry the food back to the kitchen.
A gentle breeze swept through Jinchuan City after the rain. A window was opened a crack, and the stale air inside was slowly blown out.
Upon closer inspection, a sandalwood scent wafted from somewhere.
"Mom and Dad, want to go for a walk? It just rained outside and the air feels fresh."
"Let's go, consider it a stroll."
In early autumn, the sun sets slowly, and the remaining clouds on the horizon are illuminated as colorful sunset clouds.
The old house isn't far from the sea; it's a 20-minute walk to the beach.
The three of them had walked this road many times.
On holidays, on boring afternoons, or in the evenings after a meal, the family of three would stroll along this street to the beach.
Jinchuan City's drainage system has stood the test of time; apart from some puddles still hidden in the cracks between the bricks, the roads are slowly drying out.
The three of them walked and stopped along the way, and somehow ended up at the dock in Jinchuan City.
A car seemed to have been waiting nearby for quite some time; it was a pure black sedan with a white interior.
I saw three people walking over in the rearview mirror, and the person in the passenger seat opened the car door.
The more Liu's parents looked at him, the more familiar he seemed. Upon closer inspection, they realized that he was actually Lü Mo, Liu Gan's colleague.
"Old man, haven't we met this young lady somewhere before?"
"Indeed, is her name Xiao Mo? I think she's the child's colleague."
I've forgotten where I've seen her before, but the more I look at her, the more familiar she seems.
After getting out of the car, Lü Mo didn't stand still. He opened the trunk and shouted at the three of them.
"Liu Gan, I've brought your things over!"
Thank you!
Hearing the shouts, Liu Gan jogged towards the car, but was stopped by his parents halfway there.
"Xiao Gan, isn't this your colleague Lü Mo?"
"Mom, you know her? Wait, I've never brought her home before!"
"I don't know when I saw him before. What is he trying to do?"
"I haven't even dressed up yet, is it really appropriate to meet your parents so early?"
"Meeting the parents? You two are overthinking it!"
After saying that, Liu's mother didn't know when she let go of his hand, and Liu Gan ran to the trunk and, with Lü Mo's help, took out a suitcase.
The two elderly people walked slowly, but still made their way towards the car.
Looking at the suitcase on the ground, I was quite puzzled.
Before he could even ask a question, Liu Gan had already slung his satchel over his shoulder.
"Mom and Dad, the ship is almost here; we're leaving today."
Liu Gan took out his ID card and dragged his suitcase toward the dock.
The two elderly people had no idea why this was happening. They were still immersed in the joy of their child coming home. Even if they were going to leave, they should have stayed a few more days!
"Xiao Gan, you must be joking!"
"You've only been home for a little while and you're already leaving? That won't do!"
Liu's mother pulled on the handle of the suitcase, but it seemed that she didn't have enough strength to stop Liu Gan from moving forward.
Although Liu's father had a gloomy face, he still followed quickly behind, wanting to persuade Liu Gan to turn back, but he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"Mom, we can't go back on our promise. Look, it's that ship!"
The once empty dock has suddenly been occupied by a large ship, an old-fashioned steam turbine with two large smokestacks belching black smoke and what looks like black and white banners hanging above it.
They were too far apart, and both of them, who were already experiencing presbyopia, could only make out the characters "太" and "一".
"Stop right there! Liu Gan, are you just going to leave like this?!"
A loud shout made Liu Gan pause in his steps, and he couldn't help but turn around for a glance.
"Dad, I'm sorry, I have to go."
"Then don't come back, my dear, let's go!"
Liu's father pulled hard, and Liu's mother was forced to let go of his hand. She turned around twice, but she couldn't get Liu Gan to change his mind.
Liu Gan slowly walked up the ladder to the deck, and a gentle breeze brought the dampness of the seaside.
Lu Mo, who was standing by the car, slowly walked over, his expression a mixture of resentment and grievance.
"Auntie, Liu Gan has already boarded the ship, we should go back now."
"Xiao Mo, can you help your aunt persuade him? What good is it to go to sea if he insists on doing this?"
"If we stay in Jinchuan, his father and I can find him an ordinary job."
But Lu Mo did not answer directly; instead, he lowered his head and silently gazed into the distance.
Following her gaze, Liu's mother saw Liu Gan waving slightly on the deck.
"Mom, I'm leaving. You and Dad need to take good care of yourselves!"
"We don't need his help! Let's go! Let's go home!"
With his arm around his shoulder, Liu's father pulled his wife to the roadside, but as a mother, Liu's mother still looked towards the coast with tears in her eyes.
Liu Gan had become a tiny dot on the boat, and people on the shore had to squint to see him clearly.
The ship's horn blared across the coast, but the two elderly people still heard a strong call:
"Dad, Mom, I'm so sorry!"
The whistle sounded again, and the strong wind coming from the mountain made it impossible for the two to open their eyes.
The temperature has been dropping rapidly without us even noticing, and the Beginning of Autumn has officially arrived.
The two elderly people rubbed their eyes and unconsciously pulled their clothes tighter.
Summer is gone.